Celebrating PA alumni at Detroit Mercy!

Alumni of the Year

2012

Marc Moote is a 2001 graduate of the PA program. He is currently the chief PA at the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) providing leadership and oversight to over 200 physician assistants. He also works clinically in the Multidisciplinary Liver Tumor Clinic at UMHS.

Marc serves on a dozen committees at the hospital and has a special interest in quality and patient safety, especially related to prevention of venous thrombosis. He is the Venous Thromboembolism Committee Chair and serves on the Health System Clinical Quality Committee and the Anticoagulation Committee.

He also serves on the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative Advisory Committee to devise strategies to improve surgical quality at UMHS and across the state of Michigan in accordance with the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. This work has led to his recognition with the DVTeamCare Hospital Award, North American Thrombosis Forum in 2010 and an invitation from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to participate in an Expert Panel Meeting on Prevention of Hospital-Acquired Venous Thromboembolism and more recently to serve as a member of a National Patient Safety Committee.

In addition to his national work in this area, he is beginning a leadership role on a project to reduce venous thromboembolism in 40 hospitals in Michigan. In support of the profession, Marc is an active member of both the Reimbursement Committee and the Legislative Committee of the Michigan Academy of Physician Assistants and represents Michigan at the AAPA House of Delegates. He sits on the AAPA Clinical Leaders Group as well.

2011

In recognition of her service, Tamara Gravelle was selected by the College of Health Professions, Alumni Board, as the Physician Assistant Alumna of the Year for 2011.

While a student at UDM Tamara served as president of her 2007 graduating class. Since she continues service to UDM and the PA program on the College of Health Professions Alumni Board. As a good alumni board member, she takes initiative and ownership, has energy and enthusiasm and is committed to the institution. She gives back with time, talent and treasure. In addition to her service on the Board, she frequently mentors and educates current PA students. Outside of UDM, she works as a Physician Assistant in Transplant Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital.

2009

Kathleen Dobbs was recognized for her service to the Physician Assistant community in a ceremony held March 29, 2009.

Kathy Dobbs, class of 1984, was awarded the 2009 Physician Assistant Alumni of the Year. She is currently the Administrative Director of Adult Clinical Services at Sinai Grace Hospital in Detroit. There she directs the personnel, operational and financial activities of assigned clinical services and Physician Assistant (PA) services at Sinai-Grace Hospital. Previous educational and administrative positions include Director SCS Faculty Development, Michigan State University, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Statewide Campus System and Clinical Coordinator, Physician Assistant Program, University of Detroit Mercy.

Her clinical practice as a physician assistant has included internal medicine, endocrinology, hematology and oncology, employee health and adolescent medicine. She has had numerous publications and presentations in both the educational and clinical arenas. She has held offices in numerous professional organizations including the Michigan Academy of Physician Assistants (MAPA), the PA Education and Research Foundation of Michigan and the Association of Physician Assistant Programs. She has also been a past recipient of MAPA's Outstanding PA of the Year and Service Excellence Award.

2008

Scott Thompson was recognized for his service to the program and the community in a ceremony held April 6, 2008. Scott presently works at the Senior Wellness Group in Royal Oak, MI as a Psychiatric Physician Assistant. He also works at the Salvation Army, Macomb, Harbor Lights Program in Mt. Clemens, MI as Physician Assistant and has his own physician support company, Thompson Medical Services, P.L.L.C. He is a lecturer for the PA program and also represents the professional community on the PA program Promotion and Progress Committee. In his spare time he provides volunteer medical services at local kids' sporting events and teaches nursing home staff about mental illness and the elderly.

2007

Mary C Mitchell, PA-C, class of 1990, was awarded the 2007Physician Assistant Alumni of the year award.Mary currently is employed as a Chief Grade Physician Assistant in inpatient and outpatient Psychiatry at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center Department of Psychiatry. There she is Clinical Coordinator/Developer of the Med/Psych Clinical Rotation for Physician Assistant Students and she coordinates outpatient orientation and patient assignments for residents, medical students and PA students.

She is responsible for restructuring the Physician Assistant Student Clinical Rotations there to meet the needs of the Physician Assistant Programs, as their students come to the Psychiatry Department of the VA Medical Center on rotation. She is a guest lecturer for the UDM and Wayne State PA Program and mentors students who want to become PAs through an informal “shadow program”.

Mary received the Service of Excellence Award for Initiating the Art Therapy Program in the John D. Dingell VA, Department of Psychiatry and Nursing Home. She initiated the obtaining of EKGs on the unit at time of admission which quickly facilitates transfer of patients with significant cardiac disease, as well as alerts the physician to patients with heart conditions prior to start of psychiatric medications. [View more Honors Convocation 2007 photos.]

2006

Dave Dereczyk, PA-C, class of 1979 was awarded the 2006Physician Assistant Alumni of the year award. Dave is the chief PA in the Henry Ford Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine. He is also a preceptor and clinical lecturer at UDM and Wayne State University PA programs. Since1986 Mr. Dereczyk has been on the staff of the Salvation Army, Harbor Light Center, Alcohol and Drug Detox and Rehabilitation Centerin Detroit. Mr. Dereczyk was a founding member and has served as a medical ethics officer for Doctors for Global Health. For the past 15 years he has made nearly 20 visits to El Salvador serving the poor communities in need of medical care.

He has also worked in Cuba and Guatemala. Recently Mr. Dereczyk has started a new venture with the Goodness and Mercy Foundation where he traveled to Ajalli, Nigeria and worked in a remote village treating malnourished children and adults who have never had medical attention. This year he will travel to Ghana for two weeks to work in a hospital and then continue on to Nigeria back to the people of Ajalli. [View more Honors Convocation photos.]

2005

Frank Nysowy is currently a Physician Assistant in orthopedics at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. He works on several committees at the William Beaumont hospital to increase quality of patient care. He has been involved in professional development and continuing education for hospital staff and Physician Assistants. Frank is affiliate faculty at UDM, Wayne State University and Western Michigan University PA programs and he supervises and mentors PA students. [View Honors Convocation Photos]